Salt and pepper sifter.



E. J. OSTERBAUE B. SALT AND PEPPER SIFTER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21,1915.

1,1 86,676. PatentedJuneB, 1916.

2.713225% wk- 16M EDWIN J. OSTERBAUER, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

SALT AND PEPPER SIFTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patenflmfl Jung p3 1915,

Application filed June 21, 1915. Serial No..35,388.

To all whom it may concern 0 Be it known that I, EDWIN J. OsTERBAUER,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and 5 State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Tmprovementsin Salt and Pepper Sifters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to holders adapted to contain salt, pepper or other condiments or materials in powdered or pulverized form and from which the contents may be conveniently discharged or sifted in small A amounts.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide an improved holder from which the condiment may be sifted by the operator actuating a discharge member, as compared with the ordinaryholder which the contents.

My inventioncontemplates the provision as an article of manufacture, of a moistureproof condiment sifter of simple construction and which may be produced at a low cost. tainer having an open top and closed bottom provided with a discharge opening therethrough, a valve controlling the discharge of contents-through said opening, and having an improved cover for the open top of the container adapted to be detached therefrom andbeing equipped with means for actuating the said valve, so that the cover and valve-actuating means may be removed as an entirety from the container.

I also provide a valve member of novel construction for the purpose of securing a free and even distribution of contents from tents from collecting and clogging on the valve member.

My invention, its mode and principle of operation will be better understood by reference to the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure I is an elevation of my improved salt or pepper sifter; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the sifter; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 isa view in elevation of the cover and valve actuating means detached from the container; Fig. 5 is an elevation of the valve; and Fig. 6 is an elevamust be shaken by the operator to discharge In this regard I have provided a con-' the container and preventing any of the concharacter 8, preferably of aluminum, is

pressed to form a cylindrical open-top body provided with a bottom 9 closed, except for a central opening 10 therein, and an annular flange 11 flaring outwardly and downwardly from thesaid bottom so as to hold the latter spaced above the surface on which the container rests. A valve disposed in said opening 10 and designated in general by reference character 12 controls the discharge of contents from the container. The valve,

-slidably disposed in said opening and guided by circumferentially spaced wall-members 13, is provided at its outer end with an annular, radially projecting flange 1 1 which seats on the under face of the bottom 9 so as to limit the valve in its inward'movement and prevent escape of contents through the opening 10. The said flange is of a thickness equal to the depth of the depression in the bottom of the -container and shaped cross-sectionally so as to present a curved pockets 15 interposed between the guides 13 and presents faces inclined downwardly and outwardly in proximity to the annular flange 14. It will be apparent that when the valve is depressed so that the pocket portions 15 are moved below the bottom 9, contents of the container will discharge therefrom through said pocket openings by gravity, the valve being so shaped as to present downwardly and outwardly inclined surfaces such that permit the contents to flow freely and provide a positive means for discharging the contents evenly.

The valve is held seated and may be unseated by means carried by the cover of the container, which will now be described. The cover proper designated by reference character 16, is dished so as to extend above the open top of the container and provided at its periphery with a bead 17 seated on the top end of the container and with a cylindrical flange 18 fitting telescopingly into the container. An inner cover member 19 having a down-turned flange 21 is pressed into the flange portion of the cover proper tion of a collar employed with the valve and is retained therein by portions 22 of the fiaiige 18 being turned inwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. This cover structure, removable at will from the container, provides a separate compartment above that of the container and also means for carrying and guiding a rod for actuating the valve. The valve-actuating rod 23 passes through central apertures in the cover members 16 and 19 and is threadedly engaged at its lower end with the valve. A collar 2% fixedly secured to the rod immediately beneath the outer cover member forms an abutment for one end of a spring 25 coiled about the said rod and interposed between the inner cover member 19 and said collar. This spring normally urges the rod upwardly so as to hold the valve 12 seated. A button 26 secured to the outer end of the rod affords means by which the rod may be conveniently depressed against the tension of the spring 25 for moving the valve 12 to discharge position and also serves by abutting against the top of the cover, as a stop for limiting the extent of opening of the valve.

In assembling the cover and valve-actuating means, the collar 24: originally dished as shown in Fig. 6, is positioned onthe rod at the proper place and then flattened so as to firmly grip the rod, a spring 25 placed on the rod, the short end of the rod passed through the opening in the cover proper, and finally the inner cover 19 positioned on the rod and passed within the outer cover flange and retained therein, the button 26 being fixed to the rod after the aforesaid parts have been assembled. It will be noted that the cover and valve-actuating means constitute an entirety apart from the container and valve and may be assembled separately and then very easily mounted in a container, and that the cover may be easily removed at any time after the rod has been disconnected from the valve. It is desirable to remove the cover for cleaning the container and also for filling the same and in the latter case the operator would hold a finger on the valve so as to cover the threaded opening therein and hold the valve seated. However, the container may be also easily'filled by disconnecting the rod from the valve, inverting the container and then removing the valve, the dished construction of the container bottom facilitating the fillin the desired shapes and to serve as a container for condiments.

To operate my improved salt or pepper sifter, the container is held in one hand in upright position and the index finger 'employed to press the button 26. To sift the contents lightly the button should be alternately quickly depressed and released, and

to obtain a steady discharge, it is obviousthat the button must be held down. As the parts are illustrated in Fig. 2, a full depression of the button will give a maximum discharge, and to provide for less discharge, the button may beturned to screw the rod into the valve, thus lessening the extent of the axial movement of the rod.

I claim:

A sifter of the character described comprising a container having an elevated bottom formed integrally with the side walls and provided with a discharge opening, a valve member adapted to close said opening from the outside, said valve member being provided with circumferential discharge recesses alternating with upwardly extending valve guides, an outer cover constructed to fit the upper end of the container, an inner cover permanently mounted within and carried by the lower portion of said outer cover, a centrally disposed rod extending through said cover and adjustably and detachably connected at its lower end to said valve member, a collar'fixedly secured to said rod adjacent to the top of said outer cover, an expansion spring disposed between said collar and said inner cover for normally urging said rod upwardly to maintain said valve member in closed position, and means above the outer cover whereby said rod may be manipulated to unseat said valve member.

EDWIN J. OSTERBAUER. 

